14 THE HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY OF 



resembles that of a viviparous mammal rather 

 than that of a fly. The oft-repeated assertion of 

 the upholders of the theory of permanence, that 

 variation by way of accommodation only produces 

 abnormal forms within the species, is thus seen to 

 be false. 



What conclusions are we to draw from these 

 considerations ? If we carefully study the pheno 

 mena, which have just been presented to us, we 

 must acknowledge that only the theory of evolution 

 can explain to us how these interesting forms 

 came into being. We cannot supply a scientific 

 explanation by merely declaring that these strange 

 little creatures, such, for instance, as the Mimeciton, 

 or ant-ape, were created by God expressly for this 

 or that variety of ant. The principle of the theory 

 of evolution is the only one which supplies us with 

 a natural explanation of these phenomena^ and 

 therefore we accept it. But to what extent are 

 we to accept it ? Just as far as its application is 

 supported by actual proofs. 



If I were to attempt to answer the question 

 how far this is the case, I should have to refer 

 to many other examples from other branches of 

 science, but I think it is possible to establish the 

 following statement, as the result, not merely of 

 my own investigations, but of those of others, 

 who, like myself, have devoted close attention 

 to the phenomena of accommodation in general, 

 and to phylogenetic evolution in particular. 



